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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 10 · The Summum Bonum · 90 chapters

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Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›
Canto 10 · Chapter 23: The Brāhmaṇas’ Wives Blessed
10.23.310.23.5

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 10.23.4

Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devotees
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Lord Kṛṣṇasince 10.23.3inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

तत्र गत्वौदनं गोपा याचतास्मद्विसर्जिता: ।

कीर्तयन्तो भगवत आर्यस्य मम चाभिधाम् ॥ ४ ॥

tatra gatvaudanaṁ gopā

yācatāsmad-visarjitāḥ

kīrtayanto bhagavata

āryasya mama cābhidhām

Translation

When you go there, My dear cowherd boys, simply request some food. Declare to them the name of My elder brother, the Supreme Lord Balarāma, and also My name, and explain that you have been sent by Us.

Read the purport on Vedabase.io

From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Confidence in the Lord’s Holy Names

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa encouraged His boyfriends to request food in charity without embarrassment.

  2. 2

    The boys might have felt they had no right to approach such respectable brāhmaṇas personally.

  3. 3

    Kṛṣṇa told them to mention Balarāma’s name and His own—the holy names of God—and explain that They had sent them.

Key points from the purport
  • Lord Kṛṣṇa encouraged His boyfriends to request charity without being embarrassed.
  • In case the boys felt they had no right to personally approach such respectable brāhmaṇas, the Lord told them to mention the names of Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa, the holy names of God.

The purport's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Attraction and threat → Joy and trust. The pastoral world becomes the setting for protection and love.

Chapters 20–28 of Canto 10: Forest seasons, flute and Govardhana. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 23: The Brāhmaṇas’ Wives Blessed

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

When the cowherd boys became very hungry, they asked Śrī Kṛṣṇa about obtaining food, and He sent them to beg some from a group of brāhmaṇas who were performing a sacrifice nearby. But these brāhmaṇas ignored the boys, thinking Śrī Kṛṣṇa an ordinary human being.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 10.23
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. tatrathere
  2. gatvāgoing
  3. odanamfood
  4. gopāḥMy dear cowherd boys
  5. yācatajust request
  6. asmatby Us
  7. visarjitāḥdispatched
  8. kīrtayantaḥannouncing
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Īśānukathā · The science of God

    Who is the Lord, and how do His devotees live? · Subject 7 of 10

  • Sakhya · Sacred friendship

    The affection of companions and friends of the Lord. · Theme in SB 10.23

    In this verse: “cowherd boys”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How might remembering the Lord help you overcome embarrassment in serving Him?

Practice

Say the holy names of Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa attentively today.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayConfidence in the Lord’s Holy NamesThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 10.23.4? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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